Antitank mine actuator



May 13, 1947. J. M. KING 2,420,317

ANTI-TANK MINE ACTUATOR Filed July 9, 1941 HIM l 6\ 7 I 1|] 2 IH l| a l l -l kD z 8 6 //2 INVENToR d :1h11 M- Kin El Patented May 13, i947 UNTED STTES ZAZGl? (Granted under the act Yof March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used -b-y or for the Government for governmental purposes, Without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

rlhis invention relates to an actuator for an anti-tank mine.

In the employment of anti-tank mines it is desirable that `the mine be so arranged that it will be detonated when it is in eiective contact with a ground engaging element of the vehicle. At the same time it is not desirable that the actuating contact with the vehicle be limited to anyone particular spot on the mine.

This invention has as its object the provision of an actuator for an anti-tank mine which will function to operate the fuse when the vehicle wheel or track contacts any portion of the actuator. The zone of influence of the actuator extends at least as far as the outer periphery of the mine body.

A particular object and advantage of the invention is to provide an actuator which will reduce to a minimum the possibility of symphathetic detonation of the mine to thereby enable mines, equipped with the actuator, to be laid in patterns with the mines sufficiently close together so that it will be impossible for a vehicle to pass through the mineeld without striking one oi' the` mines.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodi- Vment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of the mine and actuator partially in section.

Figure 2 is a plan View partly broken away of the assembled mine.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference l indicates the body of the mine lled with an explosive charge and having a fuse 2 secured in a central cavity. The fuse is of a type adapted to function Whenever an operating member 3 is forced into the body of the fuse against a predetermined amount of resistance. A ange 4 having a depending rim or some other fulcruming device is formed about the periphery of the upper surface of the mine body. The flange 4 is provided with two notches lil spaced 90 apart to form a bayonet joint for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

The actuator comprises a rigid plate-like member adapted to engage the protruding part striker head of the fuse operating member 3 and having depending members engaging the fulcruming vriveting or equivalent securing means.

means on the mine body. lin order'to increase the effectiveness of the mine the actuator may extend beyond the periphery of the mine body to the eiective limit of the explosive used to load the mine. The actuator unit is preferably skeletonized somewhat and may be formed as a stamping from a single plate or may be built up from a number of pieces. The fundamental requirement is that there be a rigid structure spaced from the top of the mine body and capable of engaging the striker head of operating member 3 and which must at the same time have members engaging the fulcruming means at the top edge of the mine.

In the illustrated embodiment the actuator comprises an outer ring 5 formed of a pressed steel channel or the like to a diameter the same as or larger than the mine body and having two or more arms also ci channel stock such as 6 and 'l spanning the circle and intersecting one another at thecenter of the circle. The arms are secured at their outer ends to the ring 5 by Depending from the arms and preferably formed integrally therewith are legs such as 3 and with their lower extremity bent into hook-shaped ,form to engage under the rim i formed about the periphery of the mine. The intersection of the arms is thus `maintained in position to engage the, striker head of the operating member 3.

When this invention is applied to the mine the actuator unit will vact as a lever in case a vehicle engages any `part of the actuator. |The leg or legs opposite the point of contact with the vehicle engage beneath the rim of the mine body which will act as a fulcrum and the actuator will thus function as a lever in order that an actuating force will be applied to the member v3. This force will be applied to the member 3 regardless of which section of the actuator may be contacted by the vehicle as the depending members 8 and 9, of which there are a total of four, are equally spaced about the actuator. Since the outer section of the actuator preferably extends at least as far as the periphery of the mine body it is assured that detonation will take place whenever a vehicle comes within the effective range of the mine. The skeleton-like structure of the actuator assures that sympathetic detonations will not take place due to the blast eiect of adjacent explosions on the actuator elements.

The notches l0 permit the actuator or spider to be readily applied to or removed from the mine body l by aligning two of the hooks 8 and 9 with said notches and rocking the spider or actuator on the other two hooks or legs 8 and 9 to apply or remove the actuator. In applying the actuator or spider, after two of the legs have been hooked under the rim 4 and the other two legs passed through notches I0, the actuator is rotated one-eighth of a complete turn or 45, to securely connect it to the rim 4, as is conventional in `bayonet; joint Connections.

It will be noted that the actuator may be so constructed that all the components are simple stampings and that assembly will involve a minimum of operations. thus greatly facilitated.

I claim:

1. The combination with a mine body having centrally located therein a fuse member and a fuse operating member, an actuator of substantially the diameter of the mine body and positioned for operative engagement with the fuse operating member and comprising a ring member l having radially arranged arms secured thereto one of which is positionedV to engage the fuse operating member, a downturned member carried by each arm, means carried by the downturned members, and means carried by the mine body and engaged by the means carried by the downturned members to establish fulcrum connection between the actuator and mine body so that the actuator will depress the fuse operating member to actuate the fuse regardless of the point of impact upon the actuator.

2. In combination with a mine body having an upwardly opening fuse well, and a fuse mounted in the fuse well and having a striker head projecting therefrom; a system of radially arranged bars, said system medially engaging said striker head, hangers depending from spaced portions of each of the bars on opposite sides of the striker head and having hook-shaped ends, and a ange formed on the mine body and engaging the said hook-shaped ends to form fulcrum points exceeding two in number for the bars whereby when any portion of a bar is moved toward the mine body, the bar will pivot on one of the fulcrum points to force the striker head toward the fuse.

3. In combination with a mine body having an upwardly opening fuse well, and a fuse mounted in the fuse well and having a striker head projecting therefrom; a system of radially arranged bars, said system medially engaging said striker head, hangers depending from spaced portions of teach of the bars on opposite sides of the striker head and having hook-shaped ends, and a flange Manufacture and use are formed on the mine body and engaging the hookshaped ends to form fulcrum points exceeding two in number for the bars whereby when any portion of a bar is moved toward the mine body, the bar will pivot on one of the fulcrum points to force the striker head toward the fuse and a substantially rigid ring connected at approximately diametrically opposed points thereof to the bars, adjacent the ends of the bars, and forming an impact receiving member for actuating the bars.

4. In combination with a mine body having an upwardly opening fuse well, and a fuse mounted in the fuse Well and having a striker head projecting therefrom an actuating spider including a substantially rigid rim having diametrically disposed arms, one of the arms engaging said striker head, and means connecting the rim to the periphery of the mine body to provide fulcrums for pivoting the spider when a portion of the spider is moved toward the mine body to move the striker head inwardly of the fuse.

5. In combination with a mine body having an upwardly opening fuse well, and a fuse mounted in the fuse well and having a striker head projecting therefrom; an actuating spider including a substantially rigid rim having diametrically disposed arms, one of the arms engaging said striker head, and means connecting the rim to the periphery of the mine body to provide fulcrums for pivoting the spider when a portion of the spider is moved toward the mine body to move the striker head inwardly of the fuse, said arms being of inverted channel construction, and the anges of one of the arms engaging the striker head.

JOHN M. KING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,100,698 Morner Nov. 30, 1937 1,319,153 Huber Oct. 21, 1919 1,557,081 Newton Oct. 13, 1925 1,897,709 Nigeradse Feb. 14, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 472,602 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1937 794,354 France Deo. 12, 1935 5,263 Great Britain Apr. 28, 1885 

